It’s Springtime, Mr. Squirrel! By Sebastian Meschenmoser Translated by David Henry Wilson NorthSouth Books ISBN: 978-0-7358-4310-3 $18.95 Ages 4-7 On shelves now. There is an old joke here in America regarding the Germans and their sense of humor. Mainly, that they haven’t got one. I’ve heard everything from Patton Oswalt routines to old commercials that […]

My Valley By Charles Ponti Translated by Alyson Waters Elsewhere Editions (an imprint of Archipelago Books) $24.00 ISBN: 978-0914671626 Ages 4-8 On shelves now. I’ve written a lot about the state of translated children’s books in America lately. It is what it is. Generally speaking, Americans can be a bit cagey when it comes to […]

I know it gets confusing but this list is a bit different from the Calde-not list from a couple days ago. The reason is simple. While the Calde-not list looks primarily at books with illustrations so distinguished they could easily win major illustration awards if given half a chance, this is list is more for […]

What Color Is the Wind? By Anne Herbauts Translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick Enchanted Lion Books $19.95 ISBN: 978-1-59270-221-3 Ages 5 and up On shelves now I’m going to have a hard time of it when my kids grow up. When I had them I swore up, down and sideways that I wouldn’t turn into […]

“If we don’t offer children literature from other languages, we are starving them.” Philip Pullman (TES, 2005) Phew! I’d been planning on doing a round-up of some of the speeches and talks I sat in on at the ALA Conference in Orlando a week or so ago, only to find that I’d lost my notes. […]

Dwarf Nose By Wilhelm Hauff Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger Translated by Anthea Bell Minedition $19.99 ISBN: 97898888341139 Ages 8-12 On shelves April 1st It seems so funny to me that for all that our culture loves and adores fairytales, scant attention is paid to the ones that can rightfully be called both awesome and obscure. […]

Elliot By Julie Pearson Translated by Erin Woods Illustrated by Manon Gauthier Pajama Press $16.95 ISBN: 978-1-927485-85-9 Ages 4-7 On shelves April 4th The librarian and the bookseller face shelving challenges the like of which you wouldn’t believe. You think all picture books should simply be shelved in the picture book section by the author’s […]

Gordon and Tapir By Sebastian Meschenmoser North/South Books $18.95 ISBN: 9780735842199 Ages 3-6 On shelves April 1, 2016 There is a perception here in America about the Germans. It is a firm belief that, as a nation, they are devoid of a sense of humor. Americans love to bring this up. I’m not sure what […]

Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse By Torben Kuhlmann Translation by Suzanne Fitzgerald Levesque NorthSouth $19.95 ISBN: 978-0735841673 Ages 4-8 On shelves May 1st The mouse, as hero, is an easy children’s book hero. With its diet so nearly identical to that of humans, its cute and cuddly face (sorry rats), and the sense […]

A Funny Little Bird By Jennifer Yerkes Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.) $15.99 ISBN: 978-1-4022-8013-9 Ages 3-7 On shelves now When I was a kid I tried to learn how to draw by reading Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. A lot of the book was dedicated to showing your average […]

The Word Collector By Sonja Wimmer Translated by Jon Brokenbrow Cuento de Luz $14.95 ISBN: 978-8415241348 Ages 4-8 On shelves now What is the ultimate goal of the picture book import? When someone takes the time to bring over and translate a work for children, they’re expecting that book to be able to say something […]

Jimmy the Greatest! By Jairo Buitrago Illustrated by Rafael Yockteng Translated by Elisa Amado Groundwood Books (House of Anansi Press) $18.95 ISBN: 978-1-55498-178-6 Ages 4-8 On shelves now Once in a while I’ll be impressed by a book for kids, pick it up to review it, and in the course of writing the review become […]

My Dad Is Big and Strong, But…: A Bedtime Story By Coralie Saudo Illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo Translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick Enchanted Lion Books $16.95 ISBN: 978-1-59270-122-3 Ages 4-8 On shelves April 17, 2012 Few picture book titles come with qualifications. More often than not they are statements of strong purpose. I Can […]

John Jensen Feels Different By Henrik Hovland Illustrated by Torill Kove Translated by Don Bartlett Eerdmans Books for Young Readers $16.00 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5399-8 For ages 4-8 On shelves now There is a lot to be said for a picture book book that is so unapologetically Norwegian that it ends up making you completely (not to […]

Big Wolf and Little Wolf By Nadine Brun-Cosme Illustrated by Olivier Tallec Enchanted Lion Books $16.95 ISBN: 978-1-59270-084-4 Ages 4-8 On shelves now. It’s seems strange to say that different countries produce different flavors of children’s literature, but it’s true. The Dutch books feel one way, the Japanese another. And the French books… well, where […]

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About A Fuse #8 Production

Features everything from librarian previews of upcoming children's books to news, reviews, and videos. If it has something to do with children's literature, it will rate a mention here.

Betsy Bird is the Youth Materials Specialist of New York Public Library. She's reviewed for The New York Times and Kirkus, writes articles for Horn Book and SLJ, and wrote the picture book Giant Dance Party. You can contact her at Fusenumber8@gmail.com or follow her on . . .